Faults:

Inner drive shaft develops play as splines wear out. There is a Polish company which manufactures an improved design version, which I currently have on my Galaxy.

A/C condenser usually breaks and requires replacement at some point in its life.

Booster heater glow plug required replacement.

Run on water pump required replacement.

N75 turbo solenoid needed replacement.

Battery fuse box and alternator cable needed replacement.

General Comments:

I've done a lot of miles on this car, and to be honest for the amount it's been driven, not a lot has gone wrong. It's never broken down, and luckily I can do pretty much all car related work myself, so I saved massively on labour costs. Parts can be had very cheap from euro car parts or TPS, as this particular car is built by Volkswagen.

It is a large car, and as a result, it's a bit barge like to drive; but I love it, it's never let me down, tyres wear well, I've had over 700 miles on a full tank a few times, and its 115 HP engine is sufficient to say the least.

It's very practical, as the rear five seats can either fold down (not down to the floor pan unfortunately) or come out completely, turning the car into a van.

Front and rear parking sensors are great, and I do sometimes take them for granted.

Faults:

The Galaxy 1.9 TDi 2005 alternator and wiring burnt out.

The auxiliary heater has problems, with the smell of diesel from about 35000 miles. It is now a bigger problem at 60000 miles, with excessive smoke at start up in cold weather.

Independent garage stated that the only fix if I still want the facility of the heater is a new replacement one. Very expensive to replace, and there is only a limited warranty on the job.

General Comments:

If the car did not gas you with noxious fumes in cold weather, then it would be a very good car.

Seriously worried about my young 20 month old suffering from effects of fumes.

From reading lots of reviews, it appears to be a common issue with this vehicle.

Faults:

Never buy a car with beige cloth interior, especially if you have kids. Remarkably the velour trim is not that bad considering the colour, and comes up clean every time the upholstery cleaner is used.

I have had no faults with the car mechanically; however the only problem I can report is the compartment lid in the rear of the car. The hinges have broken after being used by the kids, & the cost of a replacement is £35, as the storage box and lid is one piece. However, I found Velcro works well holding for the lid in place when going over speed bumps.

General Comments:

The car is not fast, but then again that is not what it is for. My wife has a 2007 Ford Fiesta 1.25 Style, and the Galaxy is nippier off the mark.

I do most driving around town & achieve 34 mpg, however once I get on to motorways, this increases. The engine averages between 53 and 55 mpg when doing 70 mph in 6th gear, and in cruise control. I recently drove from Dover to Liverpool, and the average mileage was 49.9 mpg. The air con does not affect the mpg, & if it does, I haven't noticed. It is on all summer, and I get the same mpg as I do in the winter, when the heating is on.

Tyre sizes are 205/16, and I am on my 2nd set of tyres on the front axle. However, I still have the original tyres on the rear axle after 25,000 miles.

My previous car was a 2.0Tdi 130bhp Mondeo (2004), and the ride and feel is not too different.

The rear DVD Multimedia system was expensive, however I got a great deal on the car at the time, & it was take it or leave it. The kids play on their Playstation on it on long journeys, and you do forget they are there at times. When in Paris, FIFA07 had to be paused when parked at the foot of the Eiffel Tower so they could look. They don't remember much of Paris strangely enough?

If you are thinking of a people carrier, you cannot go wrong with the Galaxy. I have driven people carriers in the United States, and they are like being in a space hopper bouncing around. The Sedona and Voyager do not drive the same as the Galaxy, and I can understand why its features are car like.